Heroes Together
by AnimeFanGirl2223
Summary: Todoroki and Midoriya meet when they're little kids and promise each other that they'll be heroes together one day. Years later, they meet again at UA... but Todoroki seems to have not only forgotten their promise but Midoriya entirely.
1. Chapter 1

**I think I was in a hella angsty mood for this story XD**

**AGirl2223 is my Twitter if you would be so kind as to follow me! I'll post about when updates will come out for stories and my general BS commentary XD**

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Heroes Together

Chapter 1

Rain poured down, splattering against the muddy, soaked ground like a heavy waterfall. There were very few people out in such harsh, cold weather but some children were willing to brave the storm while their parents were at work.

One such child was Shoto Todoroki, though he wasn't out trying to prove how strong he was to his friends or attempting to splash in the puddles that had formed. No, he was currently on the run and hiding from his father in the only way his six-year-old mind could think of.

He'd made it to a park before his feet got too sore from running so far, wet sneakers rubbing blisters on the soft skin of his toes. His whole body shivered from the cool winter temperature but he refused to use his left side to heat himself back up.

Shoto settled himself down under one of the twisty slides, curling up tightly so that he could conserve what little warmth his tiny body still had as it failed to cover him completely. He put his head down on his knees, fighting back the tears that wanted to start dripping from his burning eyes.

"What's wrong?"

Todoroki jerked back upright, mismatched eyes immediately locking with soft green. He stared at the small boy that was crouched before him in awe, taking in his baby-fat freckled cheeks and wild curly hair. He scooched back farther though after a moment, not trusting the kindness in his face; his mother had been kind too and still hurt him because he was unsightly, evil—his father's son.

"Are you alright? I… I can go get my mom if you're hurt. She makes my owies feel better when Kacchan uses his quirk on me." The child stated.

Shoto eyed him up and down once more, still hesitant to trust yet entranced by the boy. He shook his head and remained where he was, dropping his face into his knees once more in an attempt to hide. He wasn't entirely surprised when he heard the squelch of the stranger's sneakers moving away from him, but it still made his chest hurt. As he began to cry though, the noise returned along with heavier padding against the Earth.

"Oh dear… Are you okay, sweetheart?" a woman's voice asked. "Here, let's get you out of the rain, okay?"

Before Todorki even had a chance to look at the one who'd come to see him, he was lifted into warm arms, his pant leg being tugged on by the same child he'd refused to respond to. He stared down at him in confusion, hanging limply in the embrace.

"My name is Izuku, Izuku Midoriya!" the boy chirped. "Don't worry, my mom will know what to do! What's your name?"

"Shoto…" he mumbled, his voice cracking as he shivered once more.

The woman hugged him a little more tightly, the foreign feeling making his chest flutter with emotions he hadn't felt in almost two years. "It's very nice to meet you Shoto."

* * *

Todoroki sat on Izuku's bed, swaddled in so many blankets he wasn't sure he could move even if he tried. The boy was smiling at him kindly, his lips flying a mile a minute as he pointed out all of his posters and action figures, occasionally offering to let Shoto play with them. He didn't get any response, but, that didn't seem to make him any less enthusiastic.

"So, Shoto, what do you want to do then? Mom said she had to make some calls but we have snacks if you're hungry!"

The dual user shook his head while keeping his eyes low, but his belly had other ideas, growling loudly at the prospect of food and betraying him. His cheeks flared red as he squeezed the area, desperately trying to silence it.

Midoriya giggled and ran out, a barrage of sounds echoing into the partially open door from the kitchen. After a few minutes, he returned triumphantly, arms full of treats for them to munch on. "I wasn't sure what you like, but, here!"

Todoroki examined the items once Izuku had dropped them on his bed and crawled up to sit next to him against the wall. They all looked yummy, the packaging full of colors and heroes. He'd never been allowed to eat anything remotely like that; it was all health foods at his house.

As if he could sense Shoto's uncertainty, Midoriya picked up a candy bar and opened it, breaking off a piece. "This is my favorite since All Might said it was his… Here, try some!" He practically shoved the rest into Todoroki's mouth, grinning even more when his guests' face lit up in delight.

"I've got more!" he continued proudly, selflessly handing over the rest of the bar. "And try these too! They're these awesome fruit snacks that have liquid inside! It explodes in your mouth and—"

Shoto hesitantly munched on the offerings, listening intently as Izuku went on and on about each foodstuff he'd brought in, everything tasting sweet and good. He relaxed in his little cocoon, stealing glances at Midoriya as often as he could.

_"He's so nice…"_ he thought, happiness daring to flare in his chest.

A knock brought him out of his contented haze, however, and the woman who'd brought him to her home was peaking in. He stopped chewing and tensed again, unsure of what was about to happen.

"I see you're the one who pillaged our cabinets, Izuku," she teased lightly, the boy giggling and running over to her waiting arms happily. "Why don't you show Shoto where the washroom is so that you two can get ready for dinner, hmm?"

"Okay, mom!" he cheered, dashing back to his bed to get Todoroki.

The woman went back into the kitchen then, her heart breaking. As a mother, she couldn't imagine not knowing where her child was and when Izuku had come running to her claiming that there was a kid hiding under the slide, freezing in the cold rain she'd just about lost her mind.

She'd spoken with every babysitter and parent in the park but couldn't find the child's caretaker, deciding it was best to bring him home with her and get him warm before calling the authorities. With only his first name and a description, it would be hard to find who he belonged to until a missing person report was filed.

It had taken a good long while to convince them that Shoto would be safe at her home, but the police eventually relented since she was a nurse and had no criminal record. He'd stay the night with them unless they were able to locate his family, then social services would come in the morning. Inko couldn't help but feel almost uneasy about the whole situation though. Shoto was abnormally quiet and reserved, almost flinching every time someone got near him.

She sighed as she stirred the pot on the stove, hoping that things would turn out alright and she was just overthinking the situation as usual.

* * *

As night descended over their city, the police had yet to show up with news. Inko had let her son take the reins after dinner, telling him it was like a sleepover. As crazy as it seemed, she was almost relieved that it had been Izuku who'd found the boy… it had been so long already since the other children at school had stopped speaking to him and she was glad he was getting to play with someone, even if the situation wasn't ideal.

She listened just outside the door as the Izuku spewed his hero fanboy knowledge to the almost perpetually silent child, pleased that every so often he'd meekly ask a question or give a response.

"So, who is your favorite hero, Shoto?" Izuku asked, "I already told you mine's All Might since he's the best, but, there's a lot of good heroes out there!"

"My… my dad says that All Might is a bad hero and that I'm supposed to beat him someday…" Todoroki almost whispered, his small body hunching down on itself as he waited for Midoriya to get mad at him and tell him they couldn't be friends.

"What?" Midoriya squeaked, "I've never heard that before! All Might always saves everyone once he arrives and one day I'm going to be a hero just like him even if I don't have a quirk!"

"You don't have a quirk?" Todoroki blurted out, clamping his tiny hands over his mouth right afterward when he saw the smile fall from Izuku's face.

"O-oh… no… The doctor says I'm quirkless…"

"I'd give you one of mine if I could!" Shoto stated quickly. He was desperate for Izuku to smile again, the sight of his disheartened pout making him want to cry too.

Midoriya rubbed his teary eyes, the light returning on his face. "You would?"

"Mhmm…" Todoroki assured, "I can make ice and fire so I don't need both."

"Woah! That's so cool! Can you show me?"

Shoto swallowed thickly, not liking the idea of using his left side even if it was just to show his new and only friend. But he wanted so badly to see that awe and excitement in Izuku's expression again. He raised both hands and concentrated, getting frost to form on his right hand and a small flame on his left.

"That's so cool!" Midoriya gasped, eyes sparkling as he watched them fizzle back out. "You're going to be a great hero for sure!"

"You really think so?" he asked, thinking about how his mother had looked at him the last time he'd seen her. He couldn't imagine being a hero if that's how people saw his power. But Izuku nodded frantically, his face holding no signs of fear or hatred. "Then… then we can be heroes together, right?"

"Yeah!"

Inko decided to knock then, doing her best to hold back her own grateful tears as they looked up at her. "Alright boy's, it's time for bed!"

Izuku only pouted for a second before grabbing Shoto's hand and pulling him onto the mattress with him, almost bouncing at getting to have a sleepover again. Inko gave him a big hug and kissed his wild mop of hair, covertly watching how Shoto reacted.

To her continued concern, he had a longing in his downcast eyes, a deep sadness present that she couldn't stand to see. She leaned over farther and repeated the action with him, holding him close until the tension in his small frame relaxed. "Sleep well, little Shoto…" she cooed gently, giving Izuku one more kiss before heading out.

Todoroki was almost in shock from the display, laying back on the pillow with Izuku with the barest hint of a smile on his own lips.

"G'night Shoto!" Midoriya yawned, twisting so that his little arm could wrap around his guest lazily.

Shoto shifted as well and hugged Izuku's smaller body towards him, almost afraid that he would disappear. _"They're both so nice… I want to stay here forever…"_

"Night…"

* * *

Todoroki didn't think he could be any more content when he woke up to Izuku practically drooling into his armpit, the pajamas he's borrowed soft and warm on his skin. He smacked his lips and rubbed his eyes once the boy also began stirring, feeling well-rested since he'd slept in far longer than his father ever allowed.

"Mom used to make me pancakes whenever Kacchan came over! I bet that's what that smell is!" he cheered happily, sniffing the air like a little bunny. "Come on!"

Todoroki grinned as he was once again tugged around, finding that he really enjoyed the sensation; it was much different than when his father did it to him. They'd just started eating when the doorbell rang, Shoto so engrossed in the sugary syrup and Midoriya's continued word vomit about this 'Kacchan's' quirk that he barely registered Inko getting up to answer it.

But once the thundering footsteps reached his ears, he dropped his fork and swallowed quickly, head dropping low as he grabbed Izuku's hand for comfort.

"Shoto." The large man grunted, his body towering over Inko and the young officer that had accompanied him there. "Come, we're leaving."

Todoroki hunched in on himself even more, desperately wanting to shake his head even though he was too afraid to do so. Instead, he simply froze in his chair. Inko walked over to him and put her a hand on both children's shoulders, comforting them. "We just started breakfast, why don't you let him finish?"

"My son shouldn't be eating such unhealthy meals" he sneered, eyeing the pancakes with disdain. "He's a hero in training and needs to be back home doing just that."

Inko's face grew hot, hating the idea of a six-year-old being put under so much pressure. She turned her attention to the policeman, silently begging for him to step in. His face was answer enough though; there was nothing they could do as the man in question was not only Shoto's father but the Number 2 Pro as well.

"Shoto, honey…" Inko started, kneeling so that she could meet his distraught gaze. "You have to go now, but you're always welcome here, okay?"

The boy squeezed Izuku's hand even more, tears filling his mismatched eyes as he nodded. "B-bye, Izuku…" he whimpered. "Th-thank you for letting me stay here Mrs. Inko…"

The woman pulled him into another warming hug, petting the back of his head as she tried to keep her emotions at bay. Her son wasn't old enough to know what exactly was happening, but she could see on his face that he was upset because they were.

He caught Shoto before he could move away from the chair, wrapping his arms around him tightly as Todoroki did the same. They stood there for almost a full minute before Endeavor lost his patience and stomped over, pulling them apart and dragging his son away.

Inko had to hold Izuku back from following after, giving a nod to the very uncomfortable policeman as he shut the door. He struggled in her grip until she let go, running to the window to look out. He caught Shoto's gaze once more when he looked back, waving to him sadly.

"I'm sorry, honey…" Inko sniffled, cursing the world for being so hard for her son and every poor child caught in circumstances beyond their control.

"Mom?" he replied quietly, "do you think I'll see Shoto again?" Even though he didn't understand the full gravity of what had just taken place, he knew something wasn't right.

"I think you will, sweetie." She assured, doing her best to keep her voice upbeat.

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**Please let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Lol I couldn't sleep and this chapter was almost finished so, I dug deep and threw something together! I hope it's not terrible XD**

**Check out my other stories if you're interested! I have plenty of TodoDeku, BakuDeku, and even a ShinsoDeku to choose from!**

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Heroes Together

Chapter 2

**_~Time-Skip: 8 Years~_**

Midoriya had gone back to the park he'd first met Shoto at several times, hoping to find him hiding there again without success. Parts of the memory were blurry, but he'd never forget the sad, quiet boy he'd brought home with him or the hope he'd been given when Shoto said they'd be heroes together.

When he stepped up to the large door that stood between him and his classroom at UA, he thought back to that night, reminding himself that this was his chance. Of course the first person he saw was Bakugo, the blondes sneer making him tremble with fear and trepidation.

He was then overwhelmed with Iida and Ochaco speaking to him next, drawing his attention away from the rest of the class. His grin wobbled as he struggled to calm all the emotions swirling in his mind and chest, the sensation only growing when their teacher crept up behind them. He, therefore, failed to notice the teen sitting bored in the very back of the room, his expression blank as he zoned out at his desk.

It wasn't until they'd changed and made it onto the training field that Izuku caught sight of red and white hair, his heart thumping loudly in his ears as he drew parallels to the image he'd so desperately held onto.

It was almost maddening having to wait for Aizawa to stop explaining what they'd be doing so that he could go over and say hello, his nerves only becoming more agitated as the man explained that the lowest scorer would be going home.

Still, as they waited for their turn during the fifty-meter dash, Midoriya practically bounced over, excitement flowing through every pore in his body. "Hey!"

The dual user didn't do anything at first but eventually turned his eyes to the teen, his head held high like he was being accosted by someone beneath him. "Can I help you with something?"

Izuku immediately deflated, confusion replacing the elation he'd felt. _"This has got to be him! It's not like there are that many people with his hair and eye coloring… Even his face looks the same. Does… does he not remember me?"_

"Are you just going to stand there staring at me or do you have something to say?"

"O-oh…" Midoriya squeaked, his face bleeding red with embarrassment. "I-It's me… Izuku Midoriya…"

Todoroki blinked at him, his expression unchanging from blank disdain at the statement. After a moment he simply turned his gaze back to the testing area, apparently ending their conversation. Izuku, however, was heartbroken, walking backward a ways before also concentrating on the task at hand so that he wouldn't solely focus on how badly he hurt.

* * *

"Izuku… You've been awfully quiet since you got home…" Inko stated as she set out their dinner. "Did it not go well today?"

The teen picked up his chopsticks and poked at his food, his appetite thoroughly depleted. "Well… I scored the last place in the quirk assessment test today, but, that's just something I have to work on."

"Then what is it sweetheart?" she asked.

"I saw him today mom… Shoto's in my class… He doesn't remember me though. I tried to say hello and he just glared at me with this blank look." Midoriya explained, "I don't understand…"

The woman sighed sadly, staring at her son with solemn understanding. Izuku hadn't stopped asking about Shoto for months after their fateful meeting and even when it became less frequent, the desire to see him again had never dwindled.

Since the day he'd been told he was quirkless her baby hadn't had a single friend except for Shoto and though things were looking up now, she could only imagine how hard it must be to know that the person he'd been distantly clinging to for all these years didn't even know who he was… and apparently didn't want to either.

"Maybe he was just focusing on what you all were learning… You could try talking to him again outside of class and maybe that will jog his memory." She proposed, relieved to see a little flicker of determination coming back into his face.

"Yeah, I bet that's what it was!" Midoriya agreed, "He was probably so focused on becoming a hero that he totally blanked when I went up to him. Thanks, mom."

* * *

Izuku made sure to get up early the following day, excited to start his first real day at UA. He raided his All-Might themed piggy bank, determined to pick up all the candies he'd shared with Shoto so very long ago.

After sprinting to the store and then to UA, he was huffing by the time he'd made it to his classroom, but it was still a half-hour before school started, giving him plenty of time to converse with Todoroki. The dual user wasn't there yet, but that was to be expected—he simply went to his seat and began organizing the treats, wracking his brain to remember which one Shoto had liked the most that night so that he could offer it first.

Nearly fifteen minutes later, his muse arrived, not even sparing a glance in his direction as he walked to the back of the room. It made Midoriya pause, fear of rejection twisting his gut into a knot. _"You can do this. He just doesn't remember… It was years ago and he was upset most of the time so he probably just blocked out the memory… It's going to be fine. Just say hi…"_

"H-hey…" he squeaked, his voice far more wobbly than he'd intended.

Todoroki lazily looked up as he unpacked his things, still appearing completely disinterested in speaking. They both ended up staring at each other for some time before Izuku cleared his lump-filled throat and attempted a smile.

"H-here… I got this for you…" he offered, holding out the All Might themed bar in his trembling hand.

Todoroki's face darkened, a glare mixing into the deadpanned expression he'd been sporting. "I don't eat junk food."

"O-oh…" Izuku mumbled, letting his arm fall limply to his side. "S-sorry… I'll… Sorry…."

He twisted and retreated back to his chair, stiffly remaining forward as he fought the urge to tear up. It wasn't that he was upset Shoto didn't eat 'junk food'… In fact, he remembered him saying something about how his father didn't allow it. But he'd been hoping that it would bridge whatever gap had opened between them so that he could have his friend back.

Bakugo soon stomped in, dropping into his seat in front of Izuku much more loudly than was really necessary. "Oi, what're you crying about now, Deku?" he taunted.

"I'm not c-crying, Kacchan," Izuku argued, though that only made it even harder to contain. It was bad enough having his heart crushed—he didn't need it put on display too.

The blonde leaned towards him, voice dropping so that no one else would hear. "Heh, isn't that candy-cane looking extra the one you kept blabbing about when we were kids?"

Midoriya's head lowered even more, ashamed. After meeting Shoto, his hope for being a hero had been reinvigorated and he'd boldly declared that he and his new friend would save the day together with smiles on their faces. But now that bump in confidence had inverted, dragging him down.

"It is, isn't it." Katsuki sneered. "What's the matter, Deku? I thought you two were best buds."

Izuku curled in on himself more tightly, unable to say anything in his defense. He was grateful that more students were filtering in as it grew closer to class time, pulling the blonde's attention away from him and how disheartened he'd become.

* * *

Shoto sat at his desk at home working on their first homework assignment of the year and finding it wasn't too difficult despite UA's reputation for producing the most educated, powerful heroes. Since he didn't have to focus all that hard, he instead thought about the course he had with All Might.

As expected, he excelled during their hero training, quickly subduing his 'enemies' and 'retrieving' the bomb like he was supposed to. Of course, his partner had helped a little by telling him what floor they were on, but if he'd been alone the result would have been the same. He didn't need anybody for anything.

There were a few others that he could see being Top Pro's one day—maybe not the powerhouses All Might and Endeavor were, but skilled all the same. Some, however, seemed downright ill-equipped to be in the hero business at all.

Bakugo was top on his list for people he'd never, ever, want to work with. Losing his cool like that and forgoing an assignment just to 'destroy' another person was foolish and rather villainous for a UA student. He could only assume that it was his quirk and intelligence that got him admitted—though those things meant little if you stopped thinking rationally.

Then, of course, there was Izuku Midoriya, the timid, anxious, 'I have everything to prove but I'm not confident enough to do it yet' teen that repeatedly tried to speak to him. Sure, that power was astonishing, but having no control over it was a recipe for disaster, especially when its backlash decimated his body.

Todoroki tapped his pencil on his desk, finding the reality of working with those two and everyone else in Class 1-A tiresome. His stomach grumbled for dinner, the very first thought running through his head being the candy bar he'd been offered that morning… it had looked really good.

He shook his head to clear it of the intrusive craving, reminding himself that he had a fairly strict diet that he had to stick to. Fuyumi would likely notice he hadn't cooked and would make something for him fairly soon—a kind yet still unnecessary action. He stood stiffly and headed to the kitchen, determined to do everything alone.

* * *

If Todoroki had thought that Midoriya shouldn't have been admitted to the hero course before, he was certain of it now. The USJ attack was supposedly 'real-life' and to an extent it was. But honestly, the villains were common thugs that anyone with a smidgen of skill should be able to take down.

The only true threats from the entire ordeal were Shigaraki, the warp gate, and the Nomu. They needed more skilled fighters to be bested, but Todoroki was confident that he could have won against two out of three of them.

Midoriya, however, put his life in jeopardy to save All Might when he had no ability to save his own in the first place. It was reckless—stupid even. Had the other teachers not shown up when they did, his face would've been gone… reduced to dust. That knowledge drove Todoroki wild with irritation.

He found himself walking straight to the infirmary once released from the detectives who were gathering intel about the attack. Todoroki had every intention of laying into Midoriya once he got there but hesitated just outside Recovery Girl's door.

**_"I've never heard that before! All Might always saves everyone once he arrives and one day I'm going to be a hero just like him even if I don't have a quirk!"_**

Todoroki grit his teeth against the memory, hating that those words were crystal clear in his head even after so many years had passed since he'd heard them. Apparently, Izuku did end up developing a quirk... but he was no closer to being a hero than he had been before. Not only that, but the power he ended up having was so similar to All Might's... So similar to the person his father had trained him to beat.

It didn't take much effort to draw a connection. If Izuku was planning to be the next All Might, then he'd just have to beat him too. Todoroki stepped back from the door and turned to leave, deciding he'd challenge Izuku during the Sports Festival that wouldn't be far off if UA decided to have it despite the villain attack.

He didn't need to be heroes together with anyone.

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